Air bag systems are designed so that the air bag is ideally fully inflated before the occupant contacts the air bag. However, most occupants are not ideally positioned at the location assumed by the air bag system designer. Also, vehicle occupants have greatly varying physical dimensions such as size and weight that complicate airbag positioning during deployment and occupant restraint phases. It is common for many occupants to sit very close to the air bag deployment location(s), which may lead to either ineffective restraint or possible injury from the airbag itself.
For protection against impacts other than from the front of the vehicle, automobiles commonly include airbags that deploy from the side of the occupant. Such airbags are located either in the upper support of the vehicle or from the occupant's seat. Some airbags, termed side curtain airbags, provide cushioning between vehicle occupant(s) and the doors and windows of a vehicle during a lateral impact. Side curtain airbags can extend from a front pillar all the way to the rear of a vehicle, and in vans or sport utility vehicles the airbags can cover not only the front and second row seats, but may also extend back to a third row of seats. The airbags can extend between any designated set of pillars of the vehicle from the front A pillar, B pillar, C pillar to even the D rear pillar of a vehicle.
The airbag size needed to cover a large area requires an excessive amount of inflation gas to fully inflate the bag. To increase deployment speed and reduce the amount of gas necessary, it is common for an airbag to include uninflated zones located at positions that will not contact a vehicle occupant. The presence of these zones may lead to airbag instability that could place the airbag in a less than desirable position to protect an occupant during restraint. Thus, there is a need for improved side airbags that are able to adjust to an occupant's position and provide sufficient directional guidance to most effectively protect an occupant during a collision.